Step 2: Determine Parking Requirements

Parking Space Requirements for Commercial Property

Parking requirements for commercial uses are listed below. If a particular use or activity is not listed below, the parking requirements are determined by the Planning Commission. Please feel free to contact us for parking information for any specific site or use.

Use

Required Parking

Church, College/University Auditorium, High School and Other Places of Public Assembly

3 spaces PLUS 1 space for each 500 gross square feet of building floor area PLUS 2 spaces for each 2 employees on duty on the maximum shift

Other Business, Commercial, Public Utility Buildings

Three (3) spaces PLUS one (1) space for each 500 gross square feet of building floor area

Any fractional space is rounded up. If there are mixed uses on the lot, parking must be provided to fulfill the combined number of parking spaces required for each of the separate uses. There are additional rules for parking space size and location. See the Town parking regulations for additional information.

Many commercial sites in Town do not meet current parking requirements. If you are moving into an existing building and your proposed use will not increase the intensity of the use or reduce parking (for example, in order to provide disabled parking spaces), no additional parking is required. Otherwise, you must provide the required parking or seek a parking variance from the Planning Commission.

A Variance is a waiver of certain development requirements, such as parking. The Planning Commission reviews and approves or denies applications for variances. If a parking variance has been previously granted for your site, you may be subject to conditions imposed on its approval. For example, hours of operation may be limited. Contact the Planning Department for more information on any potential variance application or existing variances for a particular address.

Loading Space Requirements

One permanent on-site loading space is required for each 4,000 square feet of lot used for a hospital, institution, hotel, or commercial use with limited vehicular access to the site due to traffic volume, traffic movement patterns, or on-street parking. The loading space must have minimum dimensions of 10 feet in width, 40 feet in length, and 14 feet of vertical clearance for the entire horizontal dimension of the loading space. All loading spaces shall be sited in compliance with all development standards (for example, setback). No more than two on-site loading spaces are required per lot unless special circumstances warrant additional on-site loading spaces.